Bragg: 'Google should pay for music'

Billy Bragg has argued that Google should pay artists when their promo clips feature on video-hosting website YouTube.

The singer-songwriter and co-founder of the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) told The Times that the company has a duty to the artists whose songs are on the site.

Bragg said: "Google, YouTube's owner, is a company that makes billions in profits. We think they should be paying artist royalties from the advertising revenue they make.

"A dispute like this illustrates the need for the creation of the FAC, so we have a voice and the public understand that sites like Google should be paying for music."

Coalition member Ed O'Brien of Radiohead said: "I don't know how much money MySpace makes from advertising, but we don't receive any royalties from it. They are not putting any money back into content."

The FAC was due to hold its first meeting last month in London, but the event was cancelled because of heavy snow.